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Grow your freelance career here

If you’ve got the skills, we’ve got the jobs. With 1.5+ million clients, oDesk has opportunities for everyone—from app developers to virtual assistants. Click through below to discover a new way to work!

Work with top companies around the world

Businesses everywhere hire on oDesk, often building long-term work relationships that give talented professionals access to the global economy. In fact, our freelancers have earned more than $1 billion to date.

Pick and choose your projects

Where you work, who you work with, and what you work on is up to you. You truly have the freedom to create a career that is personally, professionally, and financially fulfilling.

Let us handle payments and paperwork

On hourly jobs, time is tracked automatically and secure payments sent weekly. On fixed-price jobs, escrow funds are released when milestones are complete and work is approved by your client. With each, there are no invoices to deal with and you can spend more time working and less time doing paperwork.

Become an oDesk success!

Join the millions of professionals who make their living on oDesk. Work hard, get great feedback, increase your earnings, and enjoy the freedom that comes with building a career you love.

Time is tracked automatically and secure payments sent weekly when you’re hired to an hourly contract.

The more you work, the better it gets

Work hard, get great feedback, increase your earnings, and build a career you love.

What kinds of jobs can I find on oDesk?

Everyone from fresh-out-of-college engineers to writers with long professional careers will find projects to
suit their skills. 100,000+ jobs are posted every month, with a variety of job opportunities that may be:

Long-term or short

Paid hourly or per project

Expert to entry level

Top Job Opportunities

The best way to see what oDesk has to offer is to search our existing jobs. Click through below to
see real jobs being hired for right now!

Do you have access to a working computer and reliable Internet connection? Yes? Great. You have the basic
tools needed to work online. Your next—and most important—step is to create an outstanding freelancer
profile.

Think of your profile as an introduction, resume, and personal marketing brochure rolled into one. It is
your big chance to impress potential clients by highlighting your:

Professional skills, experience, and portfolio

Education and accomplishments

oDesk skills test results

The best profiles are complete, well-written, error-free, and feature a professional, friendly looking
picture. So take the time and do it right!

Click here for more helpful tips and videos on how to become a successful freelancer on oDesk.

How do I get hired?

Getting hired on oDesk is much like getting hired in the real world—you’ll have to apply to projects and
impress potential clients before being offered a job. Start by searching for jobs you know you’re qualified
for—once you’ve found the perfect project, apply by sending the client a well-written cover letter.

Did you find a few jobs you’re qualified for? Apply to them all! You can apply to multiple jobs as long as
you have the right skills for the project. In fact, you’re more likely to get hired when you pursue more
than one opportunity.

In a word—yes! You have the power to create a career that is personally and professionally satisfying. So if
you’re ready to take control over the way you work, you’ve come to the right place.

If you deliver great work, you’ll get great feedback, more opportunities, and earn more money. The most
successful freelancers are:

Responsive to client needs

Excellent at communicating with their clients

Honest about their abilities and a project’s progress

Able to deliver excellent work on time, every time

Once you get a few happy clients, more will come. And the next thing you know, you’ll be a full-time
freelancer working on jobs you love!

“It was a real shock to my friends when I decided to walk away from the best-paying employer on the
island...But I knew it was the right thing for me to do. oDesk gives me the freedom to do the work I
want on my schedule. I couldn’t be happier.”

Marcel Morgan // Web Developer // Jamaica

How will I get paid?

All payments are made safely and securely through the oDesk platform. You can choose to receive your funds
via whichever of these payment methods is available in your area:

Local Funds Transfer (LFT)

Payoneer

Skrill

PayPal

Direct Deposit / ACH

Wire Transfer

When working hourly jobs, you’re covered by the oDesk Guarantee that an hour worked is an hour paid.
On fixed-price jobs, pre-funded milestone payments are secure with oDesk Escrow Protection.

FAQ

Who can be an online freelancer?

Anyone with skills to offer and a reliable Internet connection can begin a career as an online
freelancer. Thousands of jobs seeking a wide range of skills are posted daily, offering opportunities in
a variety of work for those with the qualifications and determination to create an online career!

What’s the difference between working online and working locally?

To begin with, no more office (and no more commute!). You’ll execute and deliver your work using your
computer from wherever you happen to be—at home, in a cafe, on a rooftop—that has a reliable Internet
connection.

And instead of being limited to jobs in and around your location, you can now work with businesses
around the globe. You get to choose the jobs you apply to and the clients you work with—it’s a whole new
world of freedom and opportunity.

There are some things that don’t change when you work online. Just as when you are looking for a local
job, you will still have to apply and interview in order to get hired. Once you are hired, you will be
expected to communicate openly and consistently with your client and deliver excellent work, on time,
every time.

Getting paid using online work has some added benefits over freelancing on your own. When you work on an
hourly contract, your time will be tracked and you will be paid automatically through the oDesk
platform. No invoices to generate, no paperwork to manage, and no need to remind clients to pay you.

What’s the best way to work with an online client?

In many ways, working with a client online is just like working with a client in the same office—you
will still have to choose work you’re qualified for, communicate well with your client and anyone else
involved in the project, and take the time and effort to build a great working relationship. (Hint: the
best way to do this is to always deliver excellent work!)

Choose your projects carefully

When you interview for a job, be sure to “interview” your client as well. Ask questions about the
project, what is expected of you, and how your performance will be measured.

Be sure the demands of the job are in line with the desired deadline, and if you will have the time
to execute well.

If you end up feeling that the client or project isn’t right for you, feel free to turn it down.

Start the job strong

Once you’re hired, have a conversation with your client to kick off the project. Decide how you will
work together, how often you will communicate, and your preferred mode of communication (for
example: some like a quick Skype, others like email).

Agree upon project deadlines, being sure not to overpromise if you don’t think a deadline is
reasonable.

Then gather all the information you need to get started on the job.

Communicate early and often

Be proactive: Even if they don’t ask for it, communicate with your client at least once per week and
let them know what you’re working on and what your schedule will be.

Respect deadlines: Ask your client for deadlines and make sure you keep them. If for some reason you
won’t be able to meet a deadline, communicate with your client immediately to let them know when
you’ll be able to complete the work.

When in doubt, ask: If you have a question, ask the client. This will keep your work on track and on
time.

Respond quickly: When a client reaches out, respond as quickly as you can. Clients get concerned
when they don’t hear from a freelancer.

Ask for feedback on your performance

If you can, submit a small part of the project early on and ask the client if the work is acceptable
and if anything can be improved.

As you submit deliverables, make sure the client is happy before you move on to the next step.

At the end of the contract, make sure the client has everything they need.

How do I get started?

Get ready to work by determining your strongest skills and strengths—only by knowing how you want to
present yourself will you be able to create a profile that will impress potential clients.

What’s a profile? It is your personal page on oDesk—a place for you to introduce yourself, advertise
your skills, share your work history and education, and give clients an idea of who you are and why they
should hire you. Create a great profile by:

Taking the time to make sure it is complete and error-free

Adding a friendly, professional-looking picture

Passing and posting the results of your oDesk Readiness Test as well as a few skills tests to show
clients you know what you’re doing

Once you’ve created an excellent profiles and passed a few tests, you’re ready to apply to jobs!

How do I find the right jobs?

To determine the type of jobs you want to search for, you’ll need to make a few decisions about how you
want to work:

How much you want to work: Do you want a part-time project or a full-time position?

How many hours a week are you available to work?

How do you want to get paid: Hourly or fixed-price

Now, search oDesk for jobs that fit your skills and preferences. Read job descriptions carefully to
determine the ones you are most qualified for, as well as to decide if they meet your job search
criteria.

Once you have found a job that’s the right fit, apply with a well-written, error-free cover letter that
has been customized to address the needs of the job you’re applying to. Some things to remember:

Plan on applying to 10-15 jobs

Search daily as thousands of jobs are posted each day

Set up a job feed to keep an eye on interesting job posts

How does oDesk help me manage my work?

oDesk provides a user-friendly platform to help you communicate with your client, share files and
project-related documents, track your time, and get paid.

For hourly projects:

You will need to download and use the oDesk Team App—this is the tool that ensures you are
guaranteed payment. By taking work-in-progress screenshots every 10 minutes, it provides proof to
your clients that you are hard at work.

Your client will be billed automatically for the time you track via the Team App.

For fixed-price projects:

You and your client set milestones and deadlines for each part of the project.

oDesk clients can be one-person startups to Fortune 500 companies. They can be high-powered tech
companies building out a huge product or local small businesses who need a brochure designed. They might
even be a solopreneur who needs some legal assistance.

Whatever your preference, you’ll have the opportunity to work with companies you like on projects you
love!

Why should I work on oDesk instead of on my own?

oDesk offers three things that you won’t find on the open market:

A built-in client base You’ll find 1+ million clients all in one place and 100,000+
projects posted each month.

Baked-in security: A free app to track your time and guarantee automatic weekly
payments, 24/7 customer support, and a clear dispute process should you need it.

Reputation-building tools: Our feedback tools allow you to build your reputation in a
way that is verifiable and leads to higher rates.

How much can I earn?

As with any profession, your earnings are tied to your experience and the demand for your skills. Once
you build your reputation through consistent high performance, you’ll be able to command higher rates
from clients who respect your proven skills. In fact, we have found that freelancers on oDesk on average
increase their hourly wage almost 60% in the first year and close to 190% over 3 years.

And with access to worldwide job opportunities, your earning potential is no longer limited by the rates
within your local market—you can earn as much as your skills are worth to a global clientele.

How much does it cost?

It is free to join oDesk. Once you book a job, we deduct a 10% fee from each payment.